Congress leader Jairam Ramesh criticised the Election Commission’s Special Intensive Revision (SIR) in Bihar, calling it "VOTE‑Bandi" that will "destroy our democracy". He said, "The ECI is a constitutional body. It can't routinely refuse requests for a hearing from the Opposition." The SIR process aims to verify the eligibility of around 7.89 crore electors in Bihar’s 243 Assembly constituencies.